A 24-year-old woman from Scotland has described her nine-year struggle to get a diagnosis for endometriosis, during which doctors repeatedly misdiagnosed her condition as irritable bowel syndrome or a stomach bug. Chloe Bremner says the pain felt like 'someone stuck inside you desperately trying to claw their way out'.
Ms Bremner first experienced symptoms at age 14, but it was not until 2023 that she was finally diagnosed with the chronic inflammatory condition. She recounts being told by a gynaecologist that endometriosis does not cause bloating, despite bloating being a common symptom known as 'endo belly'. She was also told it was unlikely a laparoscopy would find anything.
The condition affects an estimated 1.5 million women in the UK, and an inquiry by the All-Party Political Group found the average time to diagnosis is eight years. Ms Bremner's symptoms included severe daily pelvic pain, heavy periods, nerve pain, extreme fatigue, and vomiting. She was dependent on morphine and unable to complete her nursing degree.
After her endometriosis was classified as severe and complex, she was quoted over £20,000 for surgery in the UK. She launched a GoFundMe page, raising £10,500, and travelled to Abu Dhabi for the procedure. She says the condition is 'so unbelievably mistreated and misunderstood' within healthcare.
